COMPARISON OF REHABILITATION SERVICES FOLLOWING STROKE IN TWO STUDY AREAS OF THE CENTRAL REGION OF DENMARK AND THE NORTHERN REGION OF NORWAY

• Main Author: Anke, Audny
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: Morressier 2017
• Subjects: Norway; North Norway
• Online Access: https://openresearchlibrary.org/viewer/0f5d7b0c-3faa-45e8-9653-8019b01c7290; https://openresearchlibrary.org/ext/api/media/0f5d7b0c-3faa-45e8-9653-8019b01c7290/assets/external_content.pdf; https://doi.org/10.26226/morressier.5cb58cfec668520010b56de0

Background & aim: Improved treatment and rehabilitation services have reduced mortality and improved outcome following stroke. Though, geographical variations and differences in the organization of rehabilitation services may have impact on outcome. Aim is to reveal similarities and differences in the organization of rehabilitation services provided to a cohort of stroke patients in a region of North Norway and Central Denmark. Method: Data were collected from national stroke registries and through a telephone interview approximately three months post stroke. Results are presented using the International Classification of Service Organization in Rehabilitation (ICSO-R). Results: Both countries have public tax financed healthcare systems but the Danish and Norwegian study areas differ significantly; respectively 1.288 versus 30.000 square kilometers and inclusion of two versus 30 municipalities. Danish participants receive acute treatment at two stroke units in one hospital while Norwegian participants are referred to three stroke units at three locations. In both countries rehabilitation settings are available at several locations. Preliminary results show that Danish participants have shorter acute length-of-stay, receive less in-patient and more home- and community-based rehabilitation compared to Norwegian participants. The part of participants needing prolonged in-patient rehabilitation is transferred directly from stroke units to rehabilitation settings at the same level. Conclusion: The dimensions of the ICSO-R were useful for comparison of the organization of treatment and rehabilitation. Despite the thought of somewhat homogeneous healthcare systems several differences were revealed. Preliminary results draw attention to the importance of uniform standards in descriptions of treatment and rehabilitation services to enable interpretations and comparisons of stroke outcome.